Sleeping car room arrangement



fiept. 6, i949. J, w PATTON 2,481,148

SLEEPING CAR ROOM ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 16, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR IohnW. Patton,

A TTORNE Y p 9 W49 J. w. PATTON 2,41,148

SLEEPING CAR ROOM ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 1a, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR JohnW. pat-ton.

ATTORNEY Sept. 6, 1949. w J. w. PATTON 2,481,148

' SLEEPING CAR ROOM ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 16, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 NVEN TOR JohnW. Paiton.

ATTORNEY Patente Sept- 6, 1949 SLEEPING CAR ROOM ARRANGEMENT John W.Patton, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to The Budd Company, Philadelphia,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 16, 1943, SerialNo. 506,499

6 Claims.

The invention relates to railway sleeping cars and has particularreference to such cars having rooms adapted for sleeping accommodationof two or three people travelling together, which rooms can be readilyjoined with adjacent rooms to form a suite accommodating larger parties.

An important feature of the invention is the arrangement of theaccommodations within the room so that oppositetransverse walls thereofdividing it from adjoining rooms are unobstructed for a width at leastequal to a doorway opening, so that doorways'may be provided therein toenable the room to be thrown into communication with either or both ofthe roomsflanking it, and a clear passageway is at all times had throughthe room between the doorways in the opposite transverse Walls thereof.

Another feature is the arrangement of all beds in the room, so that theyextend lengthwise along the longitudinal walls of the room, thelengthwise arrangement being the generally preferred arrangement forsleeping, and furthermore, such arrangement leaves a convenientpassageway through the room and between the doorway openings in theopposite transverse walls.

Another feature is the provision whereby some or all of the beds in theroom may be folded into out-of-the-way locations along the walls,

when not in use, preferably into recesses provided therefor in saidWalls. This last feature provides a comfortable and spacious sittingroom when not used as a bedroom.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a folding partitionforming the major portion of one of the transverse walls of the roomwhereby two such rooms adjoining-each other may be converted into onelarge room adapted for conferences or the like.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will become clear fromfollowing detailed description when read in connection with the drawingsforming a part hereof.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional plan view through a portion of asleeping car showing two adjacent rooms according to the inventionarranged symmetrically with respect to the transverse wall separatingthem, one of said rooms being shown arranged as a sitting room and theother as a bedroom.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of part of thestructure shown in Fig. 1 taken on line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a slightly modified arrangement,in which all the beds are foldable against the walls of the room.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of part of thestructure shown in Fig. 3 taken on line 4-6 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, the car embodying the invention is shown having thespaced outer longitudinal side walls It] and I l and the longitudinallyextending aisle wall 32. The rooms according to the invention arearranged between the aisle wall 12 and the outer side wall II], thelatter havin large window openings l3 through which the occupants of theroom can look out. The other side wall I l flanking the aisle may havesmaller window openings l3 equally spaced from each other.

The arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 provides two rooms designatedrespectively A and B which adjoin each other andare similarly arrangedsymmetrically on opposite sides of the common transverse wall I l, oneof these rooms,

as A, being made up as a sitting room and the other, as B, being made upas a bedroom. Since the rooms are similarly arranged, the same referencecharacters will be used. wherever practical, in describing them.

Each room is bounded by the outer longitudinal wall H], the aisle wall I2, the common transverse wall l4 and a remote transverse Wall l5opposite the common wall M. The room is of sufficient length to receivea full length sofa bed l6 extending along the aisle wall l2 from thetransverse wall I 4 to a door opening I! leading from the aisle andprovided with a door "3. Beyond the doorway opening and between thetransverse wall 15 and a short transverse wall it) is provided awardrobe space 20 normally closed by a door 2|.

In the corner of the room formed by the outside Wall I0 and thetransverse wall 15 is located an annex or toilet compartment 22,containing the hopper 23, folding wash basin 24 and other toilet andbaggage accessories.

This space may be slightly wider than the wardrobe space 29 and isseparated from the main part of the room by a transverse wall 25,merging through a rounded corner into a longitudinal wall 26 connectingit to the transverse wall l5. In the wall 26 is provided a doorway andfolding door 2! normally closing the annex. Between the annex 22 and thewardrobe 20 is provided a wide passageway 28 leading to a doorway anddoor 29 through the transverse wall l5, which permits the room to bejoined to an adjacent room, when desired. Normally the door 29 would Therooms A and B may be thrown togetherito' form one large room adapted forconferences or the like by making the transverse wall -l l collapsiblefrom a jamb face portion 33 adjacentthe aisle wall to the fixed portion34- forming the side of the recess receiving the bed 32.

Such collapsible portion is indicated by the sectional partition 35shown in closed position-in full lines and in full open position indotted lines.

When the rooms :are converted ito sleeping rooms, as shown in room B,the folding bed"32 is extended along the outside wall; and'the sofa bedliigconvertedinto a lower berth, and an ordinary upper berth 36, ifthree-person occupancy is desired,'are'both' extended along the aislewall, leavin g'bet-ween thema passageway 3! through which "-the'bedscan'be readily reached and, further, if the rooms A and B are throwntogether and either one or both are connected with'the room or roomsadjoining their remote walls l5, persons may freelypaSsthrough oneroomfromend to end --without disturbing the occupants thereof or through allthe connected rooms through the longitudinal inside passageway providedby'this arrangement and the outside aisle need not'be used to pass fromroom toroom.

' When the rooms are made up as'bedrooms,' the folding chairsal arestored in folded condition under the bed or beds.

In the modification shown in'Figs. 3 and 4,-all the'parts'are the sameand similarly'designated as in the arrangement described except thatthesofa bed and upper berth are replaced 'by two vertically spaced beds,asfit, folding along'longitudinal axes into recesses, as 39, providedtherefor *in'the aisle wall. With this arrangement, with all'three'beds'folded against the roomwalls -a larger floor space is made freewhen the'room is arranged as a sitting room. With this arrangement anadditional folding chair 3| is suppl-ied'to each room. When the room ismade up as a bedroom. the folding beds are all moved to'horizontalpositions, and in plan, the room appears just as in the previousembodiment. The folding chairs are then stored in folded conditionunderthe' beds.

It will be seen that this arrangement of 'rooms provides a verycomfortable sitting room for 'daytime travel which can be readilyconverted into a sleeping room in which the beds all extendlongitudinally and are'ispaced apart to. provide a passageway throughthe room through which'persons may pass from another room, and furtherwhere large parties are travellin together anumber of roomsxnay bejoined together with a j private passageway through them independent of"the ."public aisle. Wherea large conference. room is desired, thetworooms adjoining a common-partition may be thrown into one large roomby the folding partition. 1

While specific embodiments of the invention have beenherein described itwill beunderstood that changes and modifications may be made by thoseskilled in the'art withoutjdepartingfrom the main features thereof, andit is desired to cover such changes and modifications in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sleeping car having two adjoining rooms separated by a commontransverse wall, each room having a longitudinal outer wall, alongitudinal aisle wall and a transverse wall intercon- ,ne'ctin'gth'eouter and aisle-walls remote from the common transverse wall; each roomhaving beds therein arranged to extend from the common 'transverse wallalong the aisle and the outer walls -,.thereof,-each room further havinga doorway and door in the aisle wall disposed lengthwise beyond '--theextended-'bed adjacent said aisle wall, one of "the be'ds imeach roombeing foldable into a re- "cess provided therefor in the commontransverse awall,tanditheimajonpart of the remaining portion ofsaidcommon transverse wall being foldable to throw the two rooms intoone large room.

2. A side aisle sleeping car room adapted to acrcommo'date atleast threepersons for-either'daytimeor'nighttime travel and bounded by alongitudinaltout'side wall, ralongitudi-nal aisle wall and spaced:transverse walls interconnectin the out- ,25 side .andcaisle walls andnormally completely separating the 'room from adjoining rooms, adoorwayandadoori therefor in each of said trans- "verse' wallsforiconnecting. it with onev 0r both-adjoining 'rooms, bedsiarranged'insaid room and movable from use to storage position 'an'dyice 'versa,said beds when' in storage position being folded against'the room wallsand when in use position extending lengthwise-along the respective aislean'd outside walls and: leaving a longitudinal passageway between: themcommunicating at its ends withthe doorways in the respective transversewalls andHat -oneen'd with *a doorway'and door ini the a'i'sle walldisposed lengthwise beyond the'extended bededjacent said-aisle wall;whereby the room 'can' be' used as'a separate room or'e'n suite with.either or both of the adjoining rooms and private passage between 'therooms so used'is "available without the necessity of using the public"side'ai'sle.

3. A side aisle sleeping car comprising a series or -'rooms providingsimilar accommodations arrarigedbetween a-canside wall and the adjacentside" aisle wall'and'normally completely separated from each'other byfixed transverse partitions 'interconnecting theside and aisle walls,each of said rooms being convertible into a sitting room or into abedroom, a doorway having a door normally closing it in each of thefixed transverse partitions separatingeach room from adjoining rooms,-apassageway from partition doorway to partition doorway through each ofsaid rooms, folding 'be'ds arranged in each'room to extend lengthwisealong the respective aisle and side Walls on opposite sides of saidpassageway when the room'is made up as a bedroom, and folded against thewalls or partitions of the room when the room is made up as a sittingroom, each room having a doorway and door in the aisle wall dis-"posed'lengthwise'beyond the extended bedadjacent'said aisle wall, andchairs in said room, at least certain of said chairs being collapsibleand being'zstorediin collapsed condition beneath thebedorbedswhen'the'latter'are extended for use, thereby leaving the passagewaythrough each room open at all times.

4. .Aside aislesleeping car comprising a series -of. roomsiprovidingsimilar accommodations arranged between a, car side-wall and theadjacent usidelaisle wall and normally completely separated from eachother by fixed transverse partitions interconnecting the side and aislewalls, each of said rooms being convertible into a sitting room or intoa bedroom, a doorway having a door normally closing it in each of thefixed transverse partitions separating each room from adjoining rooms, apassageway from partition doorway to partition doorway through eachroom, chairs in each room capable of seating at least two persons whenthe room is converted into a sitting room, a bed in each room, foldableabout an axis parallel to its long sides, and folded against the aislewall when the room is converted into a sitting room and movable to ahorizontal position extending lengthwise along the aisle wall andbetween it and said passageway to serve as a bed, and another bed ineach room foldable about an axis parallel to its short sides and foldedagainst one of said transverse partitions when the room is convertedinto a sitting room and movable to a horizontal position extendinglengthwise along the car side wall between it and said passageway toserve as a bed, each room having a doorway and door disposed lengthwisebeyond the extended bed adjacent said aisle wall, at least certain ofsaid chairs being collapsible and stored in collapsed condition beneaththe bed or beds when the latter are extended for use, thereby leavingthe passageway through each room open at all times.

5. In a railway car having a side aisle, a series of rooms extendingbetween the side aisle and the opposite car side wall, and separatedfrom each other by transverse walls interconnecting said car side andaisle Walls, each of said rooms being convertible into a bedroom or asitting room and being furnished with a pair at least of made-up bedsmovable from storage to use position, a pair at least of seatingaccommodations, certain of said seating accommodations being foldableand stored in folded condition beneath certain of the beds when thelatter are in use position, separate enclosed toilet compartmentsassociated with each room each having a doorway providin access theretofrom the associated room, doorways opening into the aisle from eachroom, doorways and doors in the transverse walls separating the rooms,and an inside passageway, separate from the aisle through the respectiverooms, open at all times both when the rooms are made up as bedrooms oras sitting rooms to permit free passage between said series of roomsthrough the doorways in the intermediate partitions separating them.

6. In a railway sleeping car, a pair of adjoining rooms arranged betweena side aisle wall and a side wall of the car and defined by endtransverse walls and an intermediate transverse wall separating therooms, each of said rooms having, as part of the permanent equipmenttherein, a pair of beds and a pair of seats and a separate enclosedtoilet compartment accessible from the room through a doorway and door,said beds and seats bein movable from storage to use positions and viceversa for converting said rooms either into bedrooms or into sittingrooms, each room having a free passageway therethrough between itstransverse walls and a doorway and door in the aisle wall connecting itwith the aisle, and the intermediate wall having door means whereby therooms can be rendered intercommunioating when made up either as sittinrooms or as bedrooms.

JOHN W. PATTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Railway Age, June 10, 1933, page 824.

